Coquille River Light

Coquille River Light (formerly known as Bandon Light) is a lighthouse located near Bandon, Oregon, United States. It is currently maintained by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department as a part of Bullards Beach State Park.

Coquille River Light
Coquille River Light
LocationBandon, Oregon
Coordinates43.123911°N 124.424222°W / 43.123911; -124.424222
Year first constructed1895
Year first lit1896
Deactivated1939
FoundationRock/concrete jetty
ConstructionBrick/stuccoed
Tower shapeConical attached to signal building
Markings / patternRed and white tower, black lantern
Tower height40 feet (12 m)
Focal height47 feet (14 m)
Original lensFourth order Fresnel
Current lensSolar (1991) (visible only from Bandon)
Range12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) (formerly)[1]
Characteristic28 seconds on, 2 seconds off
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Coquille River Light
NRHP reference No.74001682
Added to NRHPMarch 22, 1974

History

Originally named Bandon Light, Coquille River Light was commissioned in 1895. First lit on February 29, 1896, the light guided mariners past the dangerous shifting sandbars into the Coquille River and harbor at Bandon. The light contained a fourth-order Fresnel lens and connected to the nearby keepers house by a wooden walkway. In September 1936, a large wildfire swept through the surrounding area, and destroyed most of Bandon. The town soon became bankrupt as a result of the decline in shipping. Coquille Light was shut down in 1939 and replaced by an automated light on the south jetty.

The light was originally built with a Daboll trumpet for its foghorn, which was used as the light's fog signal for several years. However, at certain times due to specific weather conditions, the sound of the trumpet would fail at sea, and in 1910 the trumpet was replaced by a more reliable fog siren. While mariners liked the new signal, many Bandon residents did not. The siren would eventually be removed along with the Fresnel lens after the light's decommissioning.

Over the next 37 years, the condition of the light deteriorated due to neglect and vandalism, until 1976, when its first major restoration began. However, by this time, the keepers quarters and other outbuildings had deteriorated past the point of repair, and were eventually removed. In 1991, a new solar powered light was installed in the tower. Currently, a new set of renovations are being done to the light as an ongoing project, and is estimated to finish sometime in 2011.[1][2][3]

See also

References
  1. "Coquille River Lighthouse – Circa: 1896 – Decommissioned 1939". discoveroregonlighthouses.com. Archived from the original on 2010-07-30. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
  2. "Coquille River Lighthouse: A Beacon of Local History". bandonvisitorsguide.com. Archived from the original on 2010-03-28. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
  3. "Coquille River Light". rudyalicelighthouse.net. Archived from the original on 2004-03-15. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
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